discount grocery storeshttp://www.wisebread.com/taxonomy/term/12454/all
en-US6 Awesome Reasons to Shop at Aldi http://www.wisebread.com/6-awesome-reasons-to-shop-at-aldi
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<p>Since the price of groceries has been steadily rising and my only local grocery store went bankrupt, I have been trying <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/how-to-grocery-shop-for-five-on-100-a-week">better food budgeting</a> with a monthly trip to Aldi for the essentials. My grandmother was always a big proponent of Aldi, but that was back in the day before the retail chain really stepped up their game.</p>
<p>As a frequent Aldi shopper, I have discovered that the years have been kind, and the store has really become an asset to our small area where unemployment rates are high and dollar stores are seeing more business than ever. If you have never shopped at an Aldi, I want to provide you some incentive by listing the things I love about the <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/save-on-groceries-with-discount-grocery-stores">discount store</a> and its offerings, as well as a few minor complaints about the store I frequent. (See also: <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/5-frugal-lessons-i-learned-from-aldi">5 Frugal Lessons I Learned From&nbsp;Aldi</a>)</p>
<h3>Six Great Reasons to Shop at Aldi</h3>
<p>The discount grocery chain has really come a long way over the years. As a frequent shopper, I have taste-tested many of the Aldi-brand products and can say that most are just as good or even better than their name-brand counterparts. Here are six of the top reasons you should consider shopping at the Aldi store near you (if you are lucky enough to have one).</p>
<p><strong>Tasty Stuff</strong></p>
<p>I&rsquo;ll be the first to admit I previously tended to shop brand-name because I was picky about how generic products tasted in comparison. The good news is that the items I now buy at Aldi taste just as good, and even better, than the more-expensive brand-name counterparts. I address the items I do not like in the next section, but overall I find that I prefer the Aldi brand to other brands. The caramel-filled ice cream cones are to die for, and I can&rsquo;t buy them anywhere else!</p>
<p><strong>Good, Small Selection <br />
</strong></p>
<p>While it is true you don&rsquo;t have a whole lot of choices when you shop Aldi, I find that the variety of items you can get at Aldi is great. I think I actually like not having to choose spaghetti sauces from 42 different companies. Aldi sells one brand of sauce but in a variety of flavors. I especially like the frozen section, which often features different products, so I get to see new items every time I go. I know I can always get my staples, but I also get to look forward to what&rsquo;s new.</p>
<p><strong>Great Prices</strong></p>
<p>I did a relatively informal price comparison between the local Walmart and Aldi. I can get two times the amount of stuff at Aldi at the same price I could from Walmart, and three times as much stuff when compared to the local grocery store chains. We have left Aldi with an overflowing cart full of stuff for just under $200, which I know I can never do at any other store. I think the best example of the savings potential lies in the Aldi cereal aisle. Even my two tween girls who are obsessed with brand names and image largely prefer the $1.99 box of Aldi brand cereal to the $4.99 name brand box in the grocery store. Most of the popular cereal types are available under the Aldi brand, and I can buy five boxes at Aldi compared to one or two boxes from the grocery store. No one in our household can taste the difference.</p>
<p><strong>Online Shopping List</strong></p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.aldi.us/index_ENU_HTML.htm">Aldi website</a> offers weekly flyer information concerning its in-store sales. The cool part is you can add merchandise to your shopping list straight from the flyer. You can save a lot of time creating this list and learning about the deals. Simply print the list and take it with you when you shop.</p>
<p><strong>More Earth-Friendly</strong></p>
<p>If you have not shopped at Aldi, you may be surprised to find you have to bring your own bags and pack up your own goods. We have increased our reusable bag cache and now use those bags for many other things rather than create new waste.</p>
<p><strong>No Distractions</strong></p>
<p>On a personal level, it helps that Aldi primarily sells food items, with only part of one aisle devoted to miscellaneous items that can range from toys to clothes to exercise equipment. I am better equipped to deal with temptations and <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/impulse-shopping-a-controllable-handicap">avoid impulse buys</a> on my Aldi shopping excursions.</p>
<h3>Three Not-So-Great Things About Aldi</h3>
<p>As with most things in life, with the good comes the bad. There are a few things I find frustrating about the Aldi experience, but nothing so insurmountable that would keep me from shopping there regularly.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Bad Produce</strong></p>
<p>It is possible this is only relevant in my local store, but I have found time and time again that if I purchase produce from Aldi I will need to use it right away, or it will go bad within a day. We avoid buying produce there and tend to visit the weekly farmers market in our community, so overall it is still a win-win situation.</p>
<p><strong>The Un-Tasty Stuff</strong></p>
<p>There are a handful of items that I thoroughly dislike from the Aldi brand. Hot dogs are at the top of the list, followed by the refrigerated coffee creamer and the canned soup. There were a few frozen side dishes and entrees that left a bad taste in my mouth too. However, I have done enough taste-testing to know what I like and what I don&rsquo;t. Plus, Aldi offers a double 100% guarantee. If you don&rsquo;t like something, they&rsquo;ll replace the product and give you your money back.</p>
<p><strong>The Drive</strong></p>
<p>This is more of a personal problem, but it completes my list. I have to drive nearly 35 minutes to get to the nearest Aldi, which is why I only go once a month. It does take extra gas to get there, but I feel it is worth it. The downside to the long drive is that when we run out of stuff, we have to wait until a trip is worthwhile, although in the long run this likely saves me more grocery money each month because it forces me to better plan my shopping list for a month&rsquo;s worth of supplies.</p>
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<br /><div id="custom_wisebread_footer"><div id="rss_tagline">This article is from <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/tisha-tolar">Tisha Tolar</a> of <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/6-awesome-reasons-to-shop-at-aldi">Wise Bread</a>, an award-winning personal finance and <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/credit-cards">credit card comparison</a> website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:</div><div class="view view-similarterms view-id-similarterms view-display-id-block_2 view-dom-id-1">
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</div> </div><br/></br>Food and DrinkShoppingAldidiscount grocery storesfamily budgetsimpulse buysonline grocery listsWed, 11 Apr 2012 10:24:15 +0000Tisha Tolar916315 at http://www.wisebread.comSave on Groceries with Discount Grocery Storeshttp://www.wisebread.com/save-on-groceries-with-discount-grocery-stores
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<p>With food prices rising all the time, it costs more and more to feed a family these days. While some people become rabid coupon-cutting ninjas and others begin to make more meals out of basics like beans and rice, still others take a different route. They find a bargain grocery store in their area and do the bulk of their shopping there.</p>
<h3>What is a bargain grocery store?</h3>
<p>There are several different types of bargain stores. Some are outlet stores where food that is refused by regular grocery stores is sold at lower prices. Many times, the food is only refused because of a minor packaging error, so you can get the same quality at lower prices.</p>
<p>Other bargain grocery stores specialize in a certain brand. When items get close to their expiration date, they are moved to these stores and sold at lower prices. While you have to eat foods bought at these stores quickly, it will cost you much less.</p>
<p>Finally, there are &quot;regular&quot; grocery stores that simply sell things at lower prices than their competitors. Their business plan involves moving more items at a lower profit margin so they can stay in business and continue to sell items for less.</p>
<h3>Where are the bargain grocery stores?</h3>
<p>Bargain grocery stores exist in the same sorts of spots as regular grocery stores. If the stores in your area tend to be part of a strip mall, look there. If they tend to be free standing a little bit out of town, look there.</p>
<p>Most companies that run bargain grocery stores are smaller than those that run large stores, or the bargain stores may exist as a subsidiary of a company that also runs a national chain. Therefore, the names of the stores available in your area may be different from those available in another area. Since these brands aren't as recognizable, you may have to do some searching to find them.</p>
<h3>Saving money with a bargain grocer.</h3>
<p>There are lots of ways to save at a bargain grocery store. Many times, you'll save on almost anything you purchase there. If you combine that deal with a coupon or a sale, you'll save even more. Many of these stores also offer store brands of popular items, and these will cost you less than the regular version.</p>
<h3>Some bargain grocers to consider.</h3>
<p>This isn't an exclusive list of bargain grocery stores, but you can start here to see if any of these are in your area.</p>
<p><a href="http://save-a-lot.com/"><strong>Save-A-Lot </strong></a></p>
<p>Relatively new to the bargain grocery scene, Save-A-Lot promises a 40% discount from regular grocery stores with more if you use their printable coupons. Their site will help you locate a store in your area, and also has lots of yummy recipes featuring their food.</p>
<p>As a side note, when they found out I was interested in doing an article on bargain grocers, Save-A-Lot sent me some samples of their store-brand items. They are good &mdash; as in, you won't be able to tell the difference between them and the usual brands.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.aldifoods.com/index_ENU_HTML.htm"><strong>Aldi</strong></a></p>
<p>Aldi claims to help you shop smarter, and many reviews online confirm this. Their website features special buys, where you can save even more than usual. In addition, their meal planner will help you utilize the bargains you can get at the store to their utmost.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.groceryoutlet.com/"><strong>Grocery Outlet</strong></a></p>
<p>Though their website won't let you see all their products, you can browse their sales to get a feel for what they carry. Grocery Outlet features a blog and a Twitter feed, both of which can help you get access to additional savings and can help you get ideas for making meals out of sale items.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.food4less.com/Pages/default.aspx"><strong>Food 4 Less</strong></a></p>
<p>A subsidiary of Kroger, Food 4 Less offer print-at-home coupons, the opportunity to purchase gift cards for many different stores, and programs to help local schools earn money, just like the bigger grocery stores. In addition, you get the usual savings you can expect from a bargain grocery store.</p>
<p>If none of these stores are in your area, simply search online or ask around. Most urban areas have bargain grocers, and they can help trim your food budget more than you thought possible.</p>
<br /><div id="custom_wisebread_footer"><div id="rss_tagline">This article is from <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/sarah-winfrey">Sarah Winfrey</a> of <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/save-on-groceries-with-discount-grocery-stores">Wise Bread</a>, an award-winning personal finance and <a href="http://www.wisebread.com/credit-cards">credit card comparison</a> website. Read more great articles from Wise Bread:</div><div class="view view-similarterms view-id-similarterms view-display-id-block_2 view-dom-id-1">
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</div> </div><br/></br>Food and DrinkShoppingbargain grocery storesdiscount grocery storesgroceriesWed, 08 Sep 2010 13:00:05 +0000Sarah Winfrey231469 at http://www.wisebread.com